As you read this article, over 250 humans are born. The world they are born into is a world we are currently shaping with our thoughts and actions. It is the seeds we plant, the laws we write and the bridges we build, that make a difference. We decide if they get to celebrate planet earth. We decide if they live a life of freedom and liberty. We decide.

I am generally an optimist. I have faith in humanity and love. But days like today, when a truly disturbed individual gunned down 50 innocent people while injuring dozens more, make me sad and angry. And unfortunately, there have been a lot of days like this one in the recent past. This is not ok. It is not ok for a child to feel unsafe at school, for a moviegoer to fear for her life, for a tourist to think twice before sitting down in a cafe. It is not ok.

In the aftermath of a horrible act, like the one members of the LGBT community suffered today, we often question the motives of the killer. While the answers may differ in each case the only common reason is hate. We must remember though; hate has no face, no color, no ethnicity and no religion. While gun regulation and mental health counseling are great places to start; hate often goes undetected. We cannot stop hate at the borders of our country or at the doors of schools or movie theaters or clubs. Hate is taught by our actions, our words and our behavior. We are responsible.

The 250 humans born in last minute are born without hate. They don’t know it. They don’t see color or religion or sexual orientation. They don’t fear those who are different. They don’t mock accents or ridicule women. They don’t want to build walls. We shouldn’t either.

On this sad day, I appeal to those of you reading this, please realize the impact your words and actions have. Together they are the colors with which you paint the canvas of our collective future. I still see a bright one. Do you?